With the recent announcement and release of their ADK, it was only a matter of time before Google started invading your home in a big way. From the looks of it, Google will be jumping into the home lighting market very shortly, which could prove to be quite interesting.
Partnering with Florida-based Lighting Sciences, Google is planning on developing consumer-grade 60W equivalent smart LED light bulbs. The bulbs will be able to wirelessly communicate using Google’s new open-source home networking protocol. The lights will be controllable using any Android device allowing users to dim, brighten and toggle the lights on and off without ever touching a wall switch.
We think it’s an interesting idea, and we’re all for getting quality LED lighting in the home. That said, some of Google’s other utility-centric endeavors such as PowerMeter have met only mediocre success, so it remains to be seen if this concept takes off. If it does however, we can’t wait to see the flood of ADK-based hacks the community puts together. Since their new wireless protocol will likely be extended to all sorts of other household systems, the possibilities are endless.
It’s all a set of TANSTAAFL balances Writ LARGE due to economics of sheer scaling math. The coinage of Google is both ancient as advertising and newer than some SciFi daydreams. Or potential nightmares. But both dreams and nightmares are mind hacks of a sort.
FUD about “what could go worng” is often a way of preventing the avoidable crash landings. All the discussion points both for and against the Google Bulb are really worth exploring for no other reason than due diligence.
My personal take is on mundane issues like that “Noise Floor” comment from D_ and the practicality of how many IP addys we could tie up on one fully-routable IP per each freaking *BULB* in the world. That last one is worth some critical review as one thinkable Oops point might be maxing out the IPv6 address space FAST.
Envision the old fashioned filament lamp tech signs like Times Square’s “used to be” being simply screw in the socket swapped for Google Bulbs in EVERY sign still having such sockets. A car lot with Festoon Sockets all bearing a GB with it’s own unique Addy.
Yeah- it’s a quite potentially real issue if someone makes a misteak in implementation protocols. Hell, if one wanted to get silly, a string of holiday lights might have 50~100 “lamps” each having an Addy. GULP.
If the models of potential AI by mere mass of node complexity holds true and someone uses an ASIC version of the Raspberry Pi?
This was a triumph…
I’m making a note here, huge success.
In Russia the light bulbs turn on you. Sign me up for Beta testing… Security issues, will be a fun toy.
I cant wait to dick with other peoples lights :D
But instead of WiFi lights, why don’t we just make a switch that has Bluetooth capability on it, write our own apps for it, and bam… no skynetblackmessaappaturescience.